How to incorporate eradication of egoism into the yoga and meditation practice?

It's common and nothing wrong when someone who is suffering from certain kind of physical illness, or physical injury, or physical limitation, or mental problem and blockage, or emotional disturbance, would have the interest, aspiration, desire, intention and expectation to learn and practice certain type of yoga and meditation practice with the intention, desire or expectation to be attaining certain physical and mental enhancement and benefits, or gaining certain relief and recovery from those suffering.

There is attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, intention, aspiration and expectation in this initiation to be starting learning and practicing yoga and meditation.

It's also common and nothing wrong when someone has the initiative, interest, aspiration, desire, intention and expectation to be learning the knowledge and technique of certain type of yoga and meditation practice to become a yoga and meditation teacher, to be teaching some others about how to perform certain type of yoga and meditation practice with the aspiration, desire, intention and expectation to be sharing the wonderful practice of yoga and meditation to many others, while giving positive encouragement and motivational compliment to the students emphasizing on the impermanent enhancement of the physical and mental ability and achievement as well as on the momentary side-effects or benefits of the practice, hoping that all others who are learning and practicing the yoga and meditation practice would be attaining certain physical and mental enhancement and benefits, or gaining certain relief and recovery from those suffering.

There is attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, intention, aspiration and expectation in this initiation to be learning and practicing and teaching yoga and meditation.

It's common and nothing wrong when the yoga and meditation classes, or the teachers who are teaching the yoga and meditation classes are emphasizing on the specific type of yoga and meditation practice that would bring along specific type of physical and mental enhancement or benefits, or might be giving certain relief or recovery from certain physical, mental or emotional suffering, illness, injury, problem, blockage, hurt or disturbance.

There is attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, intention, aspiration and expectation in the process of conducting yoga and meditation classes.

How to incorporate the eradication of egoism into the yoga and meditation practice or the yoga and meditation classes?

The yoga and meditation classes, and the teachers who teach the yoga and meditation classes are not emphasizing on the specific type of yoga and meditation practice of particular name and form. It's just simply a particular type of yoga and meditation technique and practice, and not emphasizing on the possibility of specific type of effects or physical and mental enhancement and benefits, as all and everyone has different physical and mental condition and limitation in different timing, that has different reaction towards the similar type of practice, where the fruit of practice might be very different among the different practitioners, and the goal of the yoga and meditation classes and the yoga and meditation practice are not about attaining or enjoying the side-effects of momentary physical and mental enhancement and benefits of the yoga and meditation practice at all. But it's going beyond or renouncing all kinds of side-effects of the yoga and meditation practice. It's about incorporating the eradication of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness into the practice, to weaken and eliminate the idea of 'I' and the passionate desires and aspirations, to be rendering the mind calm and purified, preparing the mind for self-inquiry and deep meditation, to attain self-realization.

Someone who is learning and practicing certain type of yoga and meditation practice might have the opportunity to be teaching yoga and meditation practice to some others, but can be without attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, intention or expectation towards the action and the fruit of action of learning, practicing and teaching certain type of yoga and meditation practice, allowing the action and the fruit of the action of learning, practicing and teaching being there as it is, and being what it is. Without the need of giving positive encouragement and motivational compliment to the students emphasizing on the impermanent enhancement of the physical and mental ability and achievement as well as on the momentary side-effects or benefits of the practice, which is nothing but empowering the egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation in the students. And all are impermanent.

Someone who is suffering from certain kind of physical illness, or physical injury, or physical limitation, or mental problem and blockage, or emotional disturbance can be learning and practicing the yoga and meditation practice under the correct understanding and right effort, where there's no attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation towards the impermanent condition of the physical body and the impermanent states of the mind, the existence of certain physical, mental or emotional suffering, the action and the fruit of action of learning and performing the yoga and meditation practice, allowing the action and the fruit of action being what it is. There's no expectation towards the yoga and meditation practice will bring certain type of physical or mental enhancement or benefits, or will bring certain relief or recovery from the existing physical, mental and emotional suffering in one's body and mind, while allowing the effects of the practice to be there, or not, and allowing impermanent changes to be there as they are, and accepting the reality in the present moment now as it is, and it is impermanent, and changing. Even if some others who are performing the same practice, in the same timing, under the same teacher, might be experiencing and reacting towards the effects of the practice differently from oneself, and it's okay, letting go all kinds of comparison, judgment and expectation.

Under such correct understanding and right effort, even if the practitioner has been performing the yoga and meditation practice diligently and regularly for many years, but the existing physical, mental or emotional suffering might still be there and worsening, or there are even more other forms of suffering arise in the body and mind, while some others might be gaining certain relief or recovery from the similar suffering from performing the similar practice, but then, the mind understands towards selflessness and impermanence, void of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, the mind is not being determined or disturbed by the presence, or the worsening, or the continuous existence of certain suffering, but just doing one's best to be performing necessary actions, while allowing the fruit of actions being what it is, and the mind is okay under any circumstances, conditions and situations. And all are impermanent.

There's no craving towards certain pleasant, desirable and agreeable experiences, connection, interaction, condition and situation. There's no aversion towards certain unpleasant, undesirable and disagreeable experiences, connection, interaction, condition and situation. Without being determined or over-powered by the existing suffering or the disturbed states of mind. Without denying, suppressing or pushing away, but just by being aware and acknowledging, without judgment and expectation. That is what yoga and meditation practice is about. That is what silence and mindfulness is about. That is liberation.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The essentials vs the non-essentials in the path of yoga and buddhism towards self-realization

There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad in the many different types of thinking, beliefs, values, practices, desires and approaches in the world of diversities. There's only pleasant or unpleasant condition and situation in the world deriving from the actions and consequences of actions of the many minds either under the influence of ignorance and egoism, or free from the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Even when the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism emphasized on the observation of right discrimination, dispassion and the renunciation from all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values, practice and desires, in order to allow the mind to inquire towards the truth of everything under a calm and purified mind, free from the influence of all those passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values, practice and desires, it doesn't mean that there's judgment of badness, negativeness, wrongfulness or meaninglessness towards all these conditional impermanent names and forms. All these names and forms are just what they are, neither good nor bad, and they don't have the quality or intention to create harmful effects, unless the minds are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

There's no problem if the mind is free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, while there will be many unnecessary problems if the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, regardless of whether the minds are inheriting or adopting and following whatever type of thinking, belief, values and practice, and have certain desires and certain approaches towards achieving those desires, or the minds are not inheriting, not adopting and not following anything at all.

It is not that important, about what and how all and everyone choose to live life or don't live life in certain way, believe and disbelieve in certain thing, practice and don't practice, know and don't know, experience and don't experience, eat and don't eat, do and don't do, desire and don't desire, healthy or unhealthy, easy or challenging condition, and short live or long live, where all these names and forms are non-essential or irrelevant towards the attainment of self-realization or the annihilation of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

What is important, is the essential universal practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation while experiencing or engaging in any kind of names and forms, on top of the essential universal observations of right discrimination that leads to non-discrimination, openness, non-blind believing/disbelieving, non-blind agreeing/disagreeing, non-blind following, non-blind practicing, non-blind propagating, dispassion, renunciation, seclusion, solitude, silence, mind purification, self-discipline, self-control, self-effort, self-independence, self-inquiry, meditation, perseverance, determination, patience, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, acceptance, and direct experience, that lead the minds towards the attainment of self-realization or the annihilation of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, where there is correct understanding, clarity of thinking, uncontaminated reasoning power, self-control, contentment, 'I'-lessness, non-separateness, non-possessiveness, fearlessness and unconditional peace that is determining whether there will be more peace and harmony in the world of diversities, or not.

If without all these essential elements in the minds, then all kinds of names and forms, even if they appear to be good and righteous, positive and meaningful, or pleasant, agreeable and desirable, don't lead the minds towards the attainment of self-realization, or the annihilation of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness that give rise to all kinds of unnecessary suffering or the disturbed suffering states of mind.

Such as eating nutritious pure organic vegetarian food, or living a high quality organic way of life, or performing all kinds of yoga and buddhism practice, or performing all kinds of kindness, generosity, charity, prayers and rituals, or achieving all kinds of success, qualification and recognition, or enjoying abundance and joyful family connection and agreeable social interaction, and etc, might give rise to the momentary sense of satisfaction, goodness, healthiness, positiveness, confidence, accomplishment, happiness and meaningfulness, however, they don't lead the minds towards self-realization or the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, if without incorporating all those essential elements.

If there is aversion, dissatisfaction, disappointment, disturb, anger, hatred, ill will, discrimination, offensiveness, defensiveness, fear and violence arise in the mind towards something that is disagreeable, or there is attachment, identification, pride, superiority, desire, greed, discontentment, craving, clinging, longing, envy or expectation towards something that is agreeable, based on the existence of certain thinking, belief, values, practice and desires, then that indicates the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Like wise, if the mind is free from aversion, dissatisfaction, disappointment, disturb, anger, hatred, ill will, discrimination, offensiveness, defensiveness, fear and violence towards something that is disagreeable, or there is void of attachment, identification, pride, superiority, desire, greed, discontentment, craving, clinging, longing, envy or expectation towards something that is agreeable, based on the existence of certain thinking, belief, values, practice and desires, then that indicates the mind is free from the influence of ignorance and egoism.

If the mind desires to be practicing 'silence' or 'mindfulness', and thinks and believes that it is practicing 'silence' and 'mindfulness', but somehow, the mind is being disturbed and annoyed by something that it thinks is disturbing and annoying, that is hindering it from practicing 'silence' and 'mindfulness', then know that, that is not what silence and mindfulness is about.

If the mind 'falls in love' with certain types of yoga and meditation practice and their particular effects, then know that, that is not what yoga and meditation practice is about.

Even when some minds think and believe that they are experiencing certain transcendental experiences, and they think and feel "Wow!" and "Amazing!" and "Incredibly touching!", also doesn't determine that the minds are free from the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness. Because that is already indicating that the minds are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Under the absence of ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment, expectation, intention and desire, the minds don't need to experience something "Wow!" and "Amazing!" and "Incredibly touching!" at all, not to say, the passionate egoistic reaction of "Wow!" and "Amazing!" and "Incredibly touching!" upon any kinds of experiences being perceived under the selfless function of the selfless impermanent modifications of the selfless mind.

There's no "Wow!" and "Amazing!" and "Incredibly touching!" in self-realization towards the truth of what everything is, about selflessness and impermanence, in the selfless universal consciousness of non-separateness, timelessness, birthlessness, deathlessness, namelessness, formlessness and attributelessness beyond the momentary selfless manifestation of all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms ceaselessly arising, changing and passing away, and beyond the existence and function of the selfless limited conditional physical body and the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual egoistic thinking mind under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

There's no "Wow!" and "Amazing!" and "Incredibly touching!" in silence, in stillness, upon the annihilation of the selfless restless modifications of the mind. All kinds of magical and mystical or touching experiences or perceptions are still within the play of MAYA.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Compassion towards mental illness sufferer doesn't mean one should be empowering their mental illness

Mental illness might begin with some very mild symptoms, where it's something noticeable, however, most mind might not be aware of them, or might not recognize that as the beginning stage of mental illness, as these symptoms seemed to be something 'common' and nothing 'bad' or 'wrong' to many minds that are thinking, behaving, acting and reacting in the way that is under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness. And if without paying attention to be acknowledging that beginning stage of mental illness, as well as continuously empowering the mental illness out of the ignorance and egoism from oneself and others, it will eventually grow into a more serious and intense level of mental illness, and if there's still no awareness towards helping oneself to come out from such mental illness, it would come to a stage that it's too late to be doing something about it.

None should be discriminating towards other people or themselves who are being diagnosed with certain type and degrees of mental illness, not to say, there are many minds are not even aware of themselves are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, but we should be compassionate towards the minds that are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, however, being compassionate towards mental illness sufferer doesn't mean that people should be empowering their mental illness.

When the mind starts to think, behave, act and react in the way that hurt oneself and others, either wittingly or unwittingly, losing the clarity of thinking, reasoning power, self-awareness and self-control, affecting the relationship with some others and the surrounding environment, out of the disturbed suffering states of mind under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, being over-powered or over-whelmed by the desires of craving and aversion, sensitivity, annoyance, irritation, frustration, disturbance, disagreement, dissatisfaction, greed, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, resentment, pride a.k.a. low self-esteem, superiority and inferiority, fear, worry, stress, hostility, animosity, victimized, hurt, grief, sadness, unhappiness, physical/mental/emotional pain and discomfort, self-protectiveness, possessiveness, defensiveness and offensiveness, that are the symptoms of a mind that is unwell.

How people commonly deal with those who are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, out of sympathy that is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, is by not mentioning anything about 'mental illness', or 'what the minds want to deny or runaway from, or don't want to confront with, that would be upsetting or offending the minds', not to say, 'seeking help to come out from mental illness' that most probably will trigger the minds react in the way of, "No! No! No! this is upsetting me. I don't want to hear or talk about it! This is hurting me. I don't like this. I don't want you to talk about this. You are hurting me! Why do you want to hurt me? Why are you attacking me? You are making up all these things. You are the one that is mentally ill. I am fine. I have no problem." Especially if the mind is being over-powered by pride and arrogance and defensiveness, it feels that it is being attacked or humiliated by such 'accusation'.

And that kind of 'sympathetic' way of trying to console the mentally ill minds and not wanting to be upsetting or offending the minds that are trying to runaway from certain unpleasant and disagreeable reality that they don't like and don't desire, that are painful or hurting to them, that they don't know how to understand and be able to let go, and that they don't want to confront with, by not mentioning 'mental illness', or 'seeking help', or 'maybe do something about it', as well as the practice of untruthfulness and hypocrisy while interacting with the minds that are suffering from mental illness for many years, doesn't help these minds to come out from such suffering.

Meanwhile in certain cases, people would tell these minds, "Hey! There's nothing wrong with you. You are not ill. You are fine. Look! You are all good and nothing wrong. You were hurt by those who are bad and wrong. You don't deserve all that. All those bad people who had hurt you deserve to be in painful suffering, not you. You deserve sympathy and empathy, love, accommodation and support as much as possible from all and everyone."

Out of 'such loving kindness' towards these minds, people will even try to justify, ignore, deny, or even cover up certain damaging behaviors of these minds that hurt themselves and others under the influence of such unattended and empowered mental illness. Especially, after random hurtful behavior, action and reaction out of the disturbed suffering states of mind, certain minds that still have some awareness towards their behaviors, actions and reactions are being hurtful, and they would be apologetic, and be 'loving' afterwards, for a while, but that also doesn't help them to come out from the suffering of mental illness, and they would be continuously behaving, acting and reacting in such hurtful, disturbing and damaging way from time to time, out of the existing, or suppressed, or empowered mental illness, that was being unattended, denied and empowered by oneself and those around them who would always justify and cover up such damaging hurtful behaviors, actions and reactions out of what they think and believe as 'love' and 'understanding'. It's not.

Many people are suffering from certain mental illness because they were being abused or hurt by those who are suffering from mental illness, and then, they also starting to be abusing or hurting others, or their relationships with everyone, either wittingly or unwittingly, under the influence of mental illness, or the disturbed suffering states of mind. Such 'console' out of 'sympathy and empathy' as well as 'untruthfulness, justification, cover up, denial and hypocrisy' under the influence of ignorance and egoism doesn't help the suffering minds to come out from the suffering of mental illness, but empowering the mental illness to the deepest.

Compassion towards the mental illness sufferer, is about allowing them to have the opportunity to see what is going on in their minds, without judgment, aversion or fear, to be aware of and acknowledging the presence of mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind, without attachment, identification, judgment or association, even if in the beginning, the minds would be upset or offended by the inevitable process of seeing and acknowledging the existing 'illness', or 'disturbs', or 'pain', that nobody would like to have.

Even if they might not want to confront with such unpleasant or painful process of acknowledging the reality of, "Yes, I am not well. My mind is not well. It's very upsetting and painful to deal with all these. But, it's okay. I just need to help myself to come out from such suffering. Because nobody can help me if I don't help myself," but at least, through such honesty, there's hope or opportunity for them to be opened to see what is going on in their mind, or not, and then to decide whether they want to continuing to be in such disturbed suffering states of mind, and continuously hurting oneself and others under the disturbed suffering states of mind, or, they want to help themselves to be free from all that, to stop hurting themselves and others either wittingly or unwittingly, out of such mental illness or disturbed suffering states of mind, by looking into what is going on in the mind, without fear or aversion, without judgment or identification, to know and understand what is the root cause of such disturbed suffering states of mind.

Only by knowing and understanding the root cause of the disturbed suffering states of mind, will enable the mind to be letting go what the mind thinks and believes as hurtful and painful and undeserving, effectively. Then the mind will not be determined or disturbed ever again even the past unpleasant and undesirable memories are still there, and there's no pain, fear or aversion towards mentioning or talking about those unpleasant and disagreeable experiences. That is truly coming out from the suffering of mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind. Not by ignoring, or denying, or pushing away, or sweeping under the carpet towards all kinds of past hurtful, painful, unpleasant, disagreeable and undesirable experiences and memories. Not by blaming oneself or others for what had happened. That doesn't need to involve the action of forgiveness towards or the presence of apology from those who are suffering from mental illness, and hence, behaving in the way that contribute to mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind in others. But just by understand. That is liberation.

"I was hurt. That's why I am hurting all and everyone now, either wittingly or unwittingly. I am hurting all and everyone is because I am mentally ill. I am mentally ill because I was hurt by those who are mentally ill." That is mental illness that goes on in a loop. This loop can be stopped, if there's a will to understand, and be free.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Can't help those who don't want to help themselves

Can't help those who don't want to help themselves or don't know how to help themselves, not even one's partner and family.

No matter how much love, adjustment and tolerance or compassionate loving kindness actions being shown upon the suffering minds that have no awareness towards the root cause of their suffering, but only blaming all and everything to be the cause of its painful suffering or disturbed state of mind, that don't have any initiation to help themselves to come out from suffering, but merely expecting and longing to be receiving sympathy and empathy, attention, acknowledgement, appreciation, agreement, praise and compliment from all and everyone in the way that it thinks and expects how it should be to feel better, thinking and believing that, "I was and I am the victim of other people's bad and hurtful behaviors that I didn't and don't deserve, and I deserve sympathy and empathy from all and everyone," these minds would still think and believe that somebody is doing everything that meant to be hurting them, or attacking them, or criticizing them, deliberately and intentionally. 

When people offer to share some delicious food with such minds, they react strongly, "Why do you force feed me? You want me to be fat, is it?"

And when people don't offer to share some delicious food with them, they react strongly, "Why are you so selfish?"

Then people don't want to say much that would upset such minds, they react strongly, "Why you don't care for me?"

That's the power of mental illness where it's too late to do anything for such mind, as the mind has lost the very basic ability or will to help itself to be free from suffering.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Prosperity is nothing if without looking after the mental health of the people

When the world is focusing largely on the importance of basic survival, living skills, livelihood, family, relationships, friendships, education, job, career, business, personal growth, community growth, all kinds of empowerment, economy growth, infrastructure development, township, modernization, convenience, comfort, architecture, history, welfare of the environment, welfare of the animals, prosperity, financial security, national security, politics, religion, culture, sports and fitness, health and beauty, enjoyment, entertainment, social medias, investment, medical health care, insurance, holiday travelling, property ownership, advanced technology, gadgets, lifestyles, old age retirement plan, and etc, many people have been neglecting towards looking after the mental health of oneself as well as all the others in the society.

Prosperity, financial security and national security is nothing, when more and more people in the society are losing their mental health, and most people are not even aware of themselves are losing their mental health.

There will be increasing unrest and disharmony in the world, if more and more people are losing their mental health, losing the clarity of thinking, reasoning power, conscience, self-control, or peace in oneself that affects the peace and harmony in the surrounding environment.

Physical illness or injury is nothing, it can't do much harm, as those with certain physical illness or injury most probably don't have the enough energy or attention to be engaging in many kinds of physical and mental activities, and especially if the minds still have very good mental health with the clarity of thinking and reasoning power that is free from the influence of any corrupted thinking and belief, that give rise to correct understanding and self-control, they don't, and wouldn't create additional unnecessary suffering or damages unto oneself and others, or into the surrounding environment. Even if they are under certain physical limitations due to certain physical illness or injury, but they can still make good use of the knowledge, creativity and skills that they have, to be performing certain wholesome mental activities for oneself and/or others within their limited energy level, under the presence of good mental health.

Meanwhile, people with certain mental illness, who have lost the clarity of thinking or self-control, where the reasoning power is under the influence of certain corrupted thinking and belief, that give rise to incorrect understanding and corrupted behaviors, actions and reactions, even if the mind can be highly intelligent and have been receiving higher education, where the mind is well-equipped with many different types of knowledge, creativity and skills, and they might have very good physical health and fitness condition, and have very high energy level, that enabling them to be performing many kinds of physical and mental actions that could create lots of unnecessary suffering or damages unto oneself and others, and into the surrounding environment, either wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly.

This mental illness is not about depression.

Suffering from depression due to certain abnormal condition and function in the brains, does not necessarily mean that they don't have, wouldn't have, or couldn't have the clarity of thinking and reasoning power that is free from the influence of any corrupted thinking and belief, that give rise to correct understanding and self-control. One can be suffering from mild or intense depression, but still can maintain certain degrees of clarity of thinking and reasoning power that is free from the influence of corrupted thinking and belief, to be having correct understanding and self-control, if there's a will.

Similarly, most of the minds that are under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, and are suffering from the restless selfless modifications of the mind, might still can have certain degrees of self-awareness being aware of the presence of ignorance, egoism and impurities in their mind, being aware of the suffering of restlessness, and might have the will power to help oneself, to be doing something about it, or not.

The most serious and destructive form of mental illness, is when the mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that is suffering under the presence of impurities and restlessness, and is being over-powered by the ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, while being ignorant towards what is happening in one's restless and corrupted modifications of the mind, being ignorant towards the presence of ignorance, egoism and impurities in one's mind, void of any self-awareness and self-control, and generates lots of random ignorant damaging behaviors, actions and reactions under the influence of such ignorance and the disturbed suffering restless state of the mind.

There are plenty of such minds in the world in all levels and all fields. That's why the world is being what it is now, the consequences of the many corrupted understanding, thinking, beliefs, desires, behaviors, actions and reactions of the many corrupted minds that either have lost or are losing their mental health.

One can still be do something to help oneself to be looking after the mental health of oneself before it's too late, if there's a will, or there is the presence of the yearning towards liberation from all these ignorance and suffering, or corruptions, or disturbed states of the mind.

Depression, or any levels of mental illness, doesn't determine the mind as good or bad.

None should be discriminated because of the suffering of depression or the suffering of certain type and level of mental illness.

Nobody want to be ill. Nobody want to be ignorant. Nobody want to be in any kinds of suffering. Those who intentionally want themselves and others to be ill, to be ignorant, and to be suffering, are very ill indeed.

All are suffering, under the absence of good mental health, or under the presence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness or the corrupted and disturbed states of the mind, suffering from and being over-powered by pride, arrogance, attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, fear, worry, greed, jealousy, hostility, defensiveness, offensiveness, anger and hatred, and have no idea towards what is going on in the mind.

It's merely whether the mind has correct understanding and self-control, or not, that contribute to certain unnecessary damages, unrest and disharmony in oneself and others and into the surrounding environment, or not.

Even those who think and believe that they are highly compassionate, empathetic or loving human beings, that their religion or belief is centered in love and loving kindness, and they want to show loving kindness to others whom they perceived as suffering beings, would also be empowering ignorance and egoism, empowering the mental and emotional dependency among one another to attain certain degrees of momentary relief but doesn't help to root out the cause of suffering, out of such ignorance and egoism.

What compassion, love, or loving kindness, when there's ill will towards those whom they dislike and disagree with, to be deserving and receiving all kinds of badness and painful suffering or be sent to 'hell' for undergoing punishment and painful suffering, while thinking and believing that oneself and those who are good, compassionate and loving, would be deserving all kinds of goodness and enjoyments, and will go to 'heaven' for enjoying all kinds of goodness?

Similarly, by gratifying the desire of craving and aversion via doing something and being with somebody that oneself likes and agrees with, might be empowering the momentary sense of confidence, goodness, happiness, positiveness and meaningfulness, that might give certain degrees of momentary relief, but it doesn't help to root out the cause of suffering or the disturbed restless states of the mind.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The intense yearning for liberation

Under the presence of intense yearning for liberation occupying the mind, there's no room or attention in the mind for hosting or entertaining any kind of worldly passionate ideas, desires, connections, interactions, activities, gossips, debates, inspirations, aspirations, plotting, scheming, manipulation, anticipation, hypocrisy, lies, fairy tales, superstitions, auspiciousness, inauspiciousness, meaningfulness, meaninglessness, anger, hatred, jealousy, success, failure, accomplishment, non-accomplishment, superiority, inferiority, pride, low self-esteem, disappointment, hurt, offensiveness, defensiveness, guilt, regret, doubt, fear and worry, or, "What if I still didn't manage to attain self-realization by the end of this life, then all these efforts and sacrifices that I made for performing all these yoga and meditation practice would be wasted, and wasting my life and energy, and like what most people say, I will regret and have guilt for not spending all these time and energy with my family and friends, enjoying a meaningful life with them while achieving certain success in life, while I am still living," and so on.

If there's still so much room and attention in the mind for hosting and entertaining such passionate egoistic ideas, desires, thoughts activities and impurities, it means that, the yearning for liberation is not intense enough, or there's no yearning for liberation at all.

There's nothing wrong and it's common for all these ideas, desires, thoughts activities or impurities arising in the mind that act as a form of obstacle deriving from ignorance and egoism in the mind to hinder the mind from attaining the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, during the process of mind purification to be eradicating ignorance and egoism.

Those are the moments for the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation towards all these ideas, desires, thoughts activities and impurities that are also selfless and impermanent, until the intense yearning for liberation occupying the mind, and there's no room and attention in the mind to be hosting or entertaining all these selfless impermanent modifications of the mind.

Under the intense yearning for liberation, there's no fear towards losing something or everything. There's no fear towards the unknown, the 'future', or 'what if?' and 'what next?'. That will allow the mind to be truly being in the present moment, appreciating all kinds of goodness and relationships with everyone as they are, not necessarily have to be physically, mentally or emotionally close together all the time, without attachment, without possessiveness, without clinging, without expectation, without disappointment, hurt or painful sorrow, and without aversion or fear towards unpleasant or undesirable selfless impermanent changes.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

How to eradicate ignorance and egoism?

The only desire that will lead the mind towards the liberation from ignorance and egoism, is the intense yearning towards liberation.

All kinds of yoga and meditation practice of many different paths, as well as all kinds of actions, duties and responsibilities in everyday life, if being performed under the correct understanding and right effort, where regardless of whether it's any particular type of yoga and meditation practice of any particular path under certain names and forms, or it's any particular actions, duties and responsibilities in everyday life under certain names and forms, they are not different or separated from one another, if the practitioner knows how to incorporate non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation into all kinds of actions in daily life, or into the yoga and meditation practice, will lead the mind towards the eradication of egoism, that will also lead towards thinning out of the idea of 'I' and the veil of ignorance.

All kinds of different yoga practice under different names and forms serve their particular purpose to be influencing the state of the mind in certain way respectively, to be rendering the mind calm, attentive and quiet to prepare the mind for deep meditation and self-inquiry towards the truth of names and forms. However, all these practices themselves as well as their many momentary side-effects or physical and mental health and fitness benefits, don't lead the mind towards self-realization, if without the annihilation of the idea of 'I' or the ego from the mind, by incorporating non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation into all kinds of actions, in the regular yoga and meditation practice under certain names and forms, and in the duties and responsibilities in everyday life.

The most effective way to be eliminating the ego and egoism is through the observation of dispassion, silence, seclusion, solitude and renunciation, to be moving the mind away from the worldly passionate egoistic ideas, thinking, belief, values, practice, interactions, activities, affairs, communications, ties and connections for a prolonged period.

One doesn't necessarily need to be performing any kind of yoga practice under certain names and forms to be eradicating ignorance and egoism, to attain self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence. The impermanent physical condition, ability/disability, limitation, strength and flexibility, and the impermanent different states of the mind, as well as all kinds of momentary physical and mental effects and benefits deriving from the regular yoga and meditation practice, cannot and do not determine whether the mind will be free from ignorance and egoism, or not.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha didn't need to perform any kinds of yoga practice under certain names and forms to be attaining self-realization towards knowing the truth of suffering and the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms. It's the intense yearning for liberation from suffering, the observation of dispassion, renunciation, silence, seclusion, solitude, self-reliance, self-discipline, self-inquiry, meditation, determination, perseverance, and taking the middle path for a prolonged period that led him towards the attainment of self-realization. Before the attainment of self-realization, he was also under the influence of ignorance, being ignorant towards selflessness and impermanence, and the cause of suffering, which ignited the intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance in him, in order to know the truth of suffering, which led him renounced the worldly life of a prince, and plunged into intense practice under intense determination, until he attained self-realization.

Similarly, Swami Sivananda also realized that being a medical doctor and all kinds of medical drugs and treatments cannot liberate oneself or others from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance, and ignited the intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance and suffering in himself, so that he could help all the others who are under the influence of ignorance, to also be liberated from the root cause of suffering, which led him renounced the worldly life of a medical doctor from a higher caste family background, and plunged into intense practice, until he attained self-realization.

None need to be ashamed of, or be intimidated by the presence of ignorance in oneself, that give rise to incorrect or confused understanding in oneself, before self-realization or the annihilation of ignorance and egoism takes place.

The intense yearning for liberation will lead the mind towards performing all kinds of actions under right attention, right effort, right understanding, right discrimination and right practice, while observing dispassion, renunciation, silence, seclusion, solitude, self-reliance, self-discipline, self-inquiry, meditation, determination, perseverance and the middle path, which will eventually lead towards the thinning out of the veil of ignorance and egoism, that lead towards knowing the truth of suffering and the root cause of suffering, where the intense yearning for liberation and all kinds of practices or observations will drop-off from the mind naturally, upon knowing the truth of suffering, upon knowing Thyself, upon realizing selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness, timelessness, birthlessness or deathlessness, where the annihilation of the selfless restless modification of the selfless mind takes place, effortlessly and intentionlessly, upon the total annihilation of all desires, including the intense yearning for liberation.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

Inquire towards most advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology

There are many different types of advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology, such as women empowerment, youth empowerment, educational and creativity empowerment, career empowerment, entrepreneurship or business empowerment, health and fitness and beauty empowerment, organic living and eating empowerment, lifestyles empowerment, cultural and ethical empowerment, mental health empowerment, positive thinking empowerment, success and wealth empowerment, patriotism and nationalism empowerment, spiritual and religious empowerment, personal and group identity empowerment, professional image empowerment, self-esteem and confidence empowerment, and so on.

One can also say that the selfless work of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Swami Sivananda and Ajahn Chah is sort of similar to the many existing advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology to be promoting certain cause and motivating the minds to be making an effort to be achieving certain goal, however, their selfless work are indeed the contrary of all those advocacy and empowerment.

Most of the advocacy and empowerment nowadays are mainly to be supporting and empowering the world of greed, possessiveness and selfishness, attachment and identification, desire of craving and aversion, birth origin/citizenship/nationality/the sense of belonging, separateness and discrimination, commercialism/capitalism/industrialization/business investment and exploitation, success and wealth accumulation/hoarding, social status and title, personal and group identity, physical appearance and body image, physical and mental ability and achievement, name/fame/glory/pride, acknowledgement and recognition, superiority and inferiority, passionate desires and pleasurable enjoyment of the senses, and so on, being empowered by ignorance and egoism and restlessness, that might give rise to certain degrees of momentary sense of pride, confidence, satisfaction, success, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness that doesn't remove ignorance and egoism, and the suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism, but then are harming the surrounding living environment to the maximum, and eventually damaging the overall well-being of all and everyone in many ways, physically and mentally, that promotes and contributes to unrest and disharmony in the world of diversity.

While the work of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Swami Sivananda and Ajahn Chah is all about to be reversing, or renouncing, or moving away from all that.

It's about realizing the unlimited unconditional peace deriving from the effort towards the annihilation of such ignorance, egoism, impurities and restless modification of the selfless mind, powered by intense yearning towards liberation from all kinds of madness and suffering deriving from the world of ignorance and egoism.

The higher technology itself is neither good nor bad. It can be utilized for promoting wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, however, what is wholesomeness and unwholesomeness can be very different for most of the minds functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism and restlessness. Similarly, there's neither good nor bad about education, where right education that would lead the mind to be free from ignorance and egoism, would be benefiting all and everyone in the world in many ways, however, most education in the world are under the influence of ignorance and egoism that are empowering ignorance and egoism in the minds.

There's nothing wrong and it's very good about the advocacy for looking after the physical and mental health of individual and/or the entire community, especially if without attachment and identification towards the impermanent physical conditions and the impermanent states of the mind, as well as towards the physical and mental ability/disability/limitation/achievement/non-achievement, however, most of the advocacy for looking after the physical and mental health is unwittingly empowering the ignorance and egoism in the minds, empowering passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, attaching towards the actions and the fruit of actions in the process of looking after the physical and mental well-being, in order to attain the momentary sense of well-being, satisfaction, confidence, goodness, healthiness, positiveness, happiness and meaningfulness.

Most of the mental health treatment is more about controlling the symptoms via certain medical treatment with drugs, and through empowering the momentary sense of well-being, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness being determined by the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms, which doesn't really help to lessen the increasing and yet avoidable mental health problems in the world, that are very much related to the over-all physical and mental well-being in all and everyone, the general welfare of the living condition and the surrounding living environment, and the peace and harmony in the society, that are being impacted largely by the existence of many kinds of selfishness, ignorance, incorrect understanding, corrupted thinking and behavior, petite mindedness, self-righteousness, discrimination, prejudice, violence, hurtful behavior, bully, exploitation, abuse, oppression, invasion, control, anger, hatred, fear, anxiety, stress, conflict, unrest and disharmony deriving from the minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, in all levels, at home, in family, in personal relationship, in social interaction, in the community, at school, at work place, in the public space, in the world, and so on.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Inquire towards public social media platforms

Some people might think and believe that they are still having certain degrees of freedom of expression being in certain areas in the world by being able to be expressing or sharing their ideas via certain public social media platforms, not knowing that all the public social media platforms are under the total control of the world of business, religions and politics.

Even when one is able to express certain ideas via certain social media platforms, but, who would be able to see or come in contact with such ideas, are all under the control of the world of business, religions and politics, in order to achieve their respective ambitious vision and aspiration.

Certain ideas that are beneficial for all humanity are being censored in certain or many countries.

Certain ideas that are promoting selfishness, possessiveness, separateness, petite mindedness and greed are being promoted widely in many countries.

Just because some people or some organizations have the money and/or the influence power to do so.

Even if somebody have the money to pay certain social media platforms for promoting certain 'ideas', 'products' or 'services' in certain areas, it's still up to those who either can pay higher fees or who have the higher influence power to be controlling everything on all kinds of public social media platforms, either by promoting what they want the people to see and know, or censoring what they don't want the people to see and know. That's everyone's freedom. Let them be.

People will only come in contact with what certain people want them to see or know, and people won't be able to come in contact with what certain people don't want them to see or know. That's why it's so important for the observation of dispassion, renunciation, seclusion, solitude, self-reliance, self-inquiry and self-realization, not to be relying on the public social medias, or hearing from anybody, or reading books for all kinds of information, not even from this mind.

In the past, before the existence of higher technology and creativity that give rise to the world of internet and so many different public social media platforms that mainly to be stimulating the passionate egoistic desires, and conditioning the minds to think, believe, behave and desire in certain way that would be profiting certain people in the world of business, religions and politics, where the Gurus in the past advised the practitioners or the truth seekers, to stay away from newspaper reading, magazine reading, book reading, TV and movie watching, theater or cinema visiting, and social interactions and activities, as there are very little truthfulness or wholesomeness in all these public medias that were mainly being used by certain people to achieve their selfish greedy desire and agenda by promoting certain passionate egoistic ideas, thinking, belief, values, practice and desire in the people's mind, that would favor them in return.

Such advice for the practitioners or the truth seekers to be observing such restrictions can help to quiet the restless modifications of the mind, and to purify the mind by eradicating ignorance and egoism and all kinds of passionate greedy and ambitious worldly desire and aspiration from the mind, not to be conditioned and empowered by such passionate egoistic ideas, thinking, belief, values, practice and desire, to allow the mind to see the truth of names and forms as it is.

All kinds of public social medias platforms via the internet nowadays are way more powerful than all those public medias in the past.

And if these Gurus are still existing in this time being, they would probably also advise the practitioners or the truth seekers to stay away from all these public social media platforms as well. The essential practice of dispassion and renunciation of seclusion, solitude, self-reliance, self-independence, self-inquiry and self-realization is even more relevant in this time being.

Even the existence of this blog, is limited and conditional. If it reaches the mind that needs it, that's good. If it doesn't, that's okay too. All is impermanent. Even this, is passing away. When this body and mind passed away, this blog will also be vanished from this world. Be happy.

Swami Sivananda - "You are left alone now."

Inquire the truth of everything.

The existing problem in the developed countries is a great reflection for the other countries that aspire to become like them

Just as most people would look 'up' to some other 'more successful' people, and aspire to become like them, similarly most 'undeveloped' or 'under developed' countries will look 'up' to some other 'more advanced or developed' countries, and aspire to become like them.

No doubt that in the beginning stage of such 'advanced and higher' development in the most developed countries in the world, there is certain extend of 'prosperity' where certain people who study hard and work hard can achieve certain living income that can support an easier and more comfortable life condition with some additional pleasurable enjoyment, however, after certain years of 'prosperity', 'convenience', 'comfort' and 'enjoyment' that derived from and give rise to different kinds of 'exploitation' and 'corruption', all kinds of 'problems' starting to show up in the 'most advanced and developed' countries in the world, especially now in this time being, and it will continuously becoming more problematic to all and everyone living on earth that doesn't belong to anyone, it's very obvious that all these 'most advanced and developed' countries are all having certain similar 'problems' due to the imperfect system created by those who are under the influence of ignorance and egoism empowered by limitless egoistic desire, vision, aspiration and ambition.

Many young people in the less developed countries are being empowered and highly motivated to look up at the most advanced and developed countries in the world, to transform their countries to also become like one of these 'highly advanced and developed' countries, under the similar system and approach.

They should take a deep reflection towards all the existing 'problems' in all these 'highly advanced and developed' countries in the world, where all kinds of discrimination, exploitation, corruption, oppression, desperation, greed, hatred, unrest and disharmony are rising and increasing, and see if they still want to 'develop' their country under the similar 'system' that will eventually hurt all and everyone after enjoying certain years of 'prosperity' of easier life condition, comfort, convenience and pleasurable enjoyment for certain people, while be considerate to be making certain adjustment or taking some other different approach in order to 'develop' their country 'effectively'.

Similarly, people can reflect upon the existing 'problems' in those countries that are run by particular 'system' that is under the influence of particular 'cultural', 'spiritual', 'religious', 'political', 'national', 'commercial' or 'social class' ideas, thinking, belief, values and practice, that give rise to all kinds of separateness, discrimination, oppression, hatred, violence, unrest, disharmony, greedy vision and ambition, fear, exploitation and corruption in themselves and into the world.

The history, and what is happening now in the world, is a great reflection for those who have great aspiration and ambition to be developing their country or community to become more 'advanced and developed' with higher prosperity and better living condition for many people in their country.

There is nothing wrong and it's very good for any country to be developed and improved for achieving greater peace and higher quality of existence for all and everyone, unselfishly and indiscriminately.

Certain 'development' will bring more peace and harmony into the world, while certain 'development' will contribute to more unrest and disharmony in the world. Be wise on choosing what type of 'development' and 'approach' towards real prosperity and better living condition that will benefit all and everyone, unselfishly.

Certain good people are trying to 'clean up' the mess or 'reducing' the destructive impact of such 'advanced development' with certain great ideas and practices of so called 'sustainable living', however, it won't change much as all and everyone are still unwittingly 'supporting' such 'advanced development for easier living condition, convenience, comfort and enjoyment' under a faulty 'system' that continuously contribute to further and further destructive impact in the diverse society physically and mentally, and in the surrounding environment under such 'advanced development system'.

It's like exerting energy and effort into cleaning and fixing a cracked dirty pot to enjoy the purest and cleanest food, however, the pot can never be cleaned and fixed as continuous dirt are still pouring in and cracks are still happening to the pot. Eventually the pot will be completely broken, and there's no pot for anyone to hold any purest and cleanest food. The pot is the world or the living environment. The purest and cleanest food is the great ideas and kindness to create all kinds of goodness in the world, and the dirt and cracks in the pot is the destructive impact of a faulty 'system' to be achieving a so called 'advanced development' or 'particular cultural, spiritual, religious, political, national, commercial and social class influenced development' in the world.

A constructive 'system' that is not under the influence of any particular cultural, spiritual, religious, political, national, commercial, or social class ideas, thinking, belief, values and practice, that is void of selfishness, greed, possessiveness, discrimination, oppression, separateness, hatred and violence, that respect all kinds of diversities as they are, that promotes peace and harmony in the world of diversity, through the annihilation of ignorance and egoism.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

There's no fear, guilt or regret upon the absence of ignorance

Fear, guilt and regret only exist in the minds under the presence of ignorance.

There's no fear, guilt or regret in the minds upon the absence of ignorance.

Those who want or have the need/urge/instinct to bully, manipulate and control some others through instilling fear, guilt and regret in others, they don't like to hear about mental and emotional independence, or freedom from ignorance and egoism, because then they can no longer bully, manipulate or control towards those who are mentally and emotionally independent, who are free from fear, guilt or regret, upon the absence of ignorance and egoism.

Bully, manipulation and control through instilling fear, guilt and regret in the minds, is something very common in many minds, in family, in parenting, in love relationships, in friendships, or in the community under certain cultural, spiritual, religious, political or national belief, values and practice.

The minds want to bully, manipulate and control other minds is due to fear exists in themselves. Those who are free from fear, they don't need to bully, manipulate or control anyone.

The world of human beings under the influence of ignorance and egoism, being the slaves of ignorance and egoism, causing lots of suffering in themselves and unto others, is not just madness, but also ridiculously amusing or hilarious.

The mind that is free from ignorance transcends all kinds of superstitious belief and practice. There's no magic. There are only tricks or hypnotism. If superstitious belief is true and powerful, if magic is real and powerful, and if hypnotism is so powerful, the world would be free from all kinds of suffering already, where all and everyone can attain liberation from ignorance and egoism instantly through superstitious belief and practice, magic or hypnotism. Instead, all these belief and practice are being used to be empowering ignorance and egoism for gratifying passionate egoistic greedy ambitious selfish desire and aspiration.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

Perform inquiry towards the essential teachings of yoga and buddhism

Just by performing all kinds of yoga practice, breathing exercises, relaxation, cleansing exercises, chanting, concentration and meditation practice regularly for years and years, and experiencing or attaining certain momentary side-effects from the practice, or one has been actively performing many kinds of ritual or charity work, and the mind might feel good, calm and meaningful, but if without working on eradicating ignorance and egoism, it doesn't lead towards self-realization and liberation.

The teachings of yoga and buddhism are not different from one another, even if there are some influences of Hinduism in yoga. Some people might misunderstood that buddhism and yoga is a form of religion belief and practice. They are not a religious belief or practice. The truth of names and forms, of selflessness and impermanence, is not a belief. It's what all kinds of names and forms are. It's science. There's no superiority or inferiority, authority, authoritarianism, miracles, believer, follower, judgment, punishment, or sin. There's only cause and effect, actions and consequences of actions, selfless impermanent changes, suffering, the cause of suffering, the path of self-realization, the selfless practitioner, direct experience and realization, ignorance or void of ignorance.

One doesn't need to have a religion, or believe in 'the creator of the universe' or 'the soul/spirit', to be practicing yoga and/or buddhism, and realize selflessness. One also doesn't need to be physically healthy, fit, strong and flexible, or mentally intelligent and knowledgeable, or perform any ritual, or know any chanting and prayer, to realize selflessness. Regardless of whether one hasn't done any good deeds or one has done many bad deeds, one can still practice yoga and/or buddhism and realize selflessness, under correct understanding and right effort. It's unlimited by any quality of names and forms.

The approach might be different, but the direction and the goal is the same. Both are leading towards non-separateness, or non-discrimination towards all kinds of names and forms being what they are, under the presence of right discrimination or correct understanding.

Self-inquiry towards what is 'I', and inquiring towards the truth of everything, including all the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism is highly important for those who want to attain self-realization towards selflessness, under the intense yearning for liberation. There's neither right nor wrong with certain minds are interested in yoga or buddhism under the ignorant selfish desire of attaining super extra ordinary mind power to be gratifying all desires, to be controlling others to be and not to be in certain way, or to be defying selfless impermanent changes, but that won't lead the mind towards the liberation from ignorance and suffering, or the attainment of self-realization, as the mind doesn't work on eradicating ignorance and egoism.

Not by coming in contact with and knowing the teachings through hearing from someone or reading many books written by someone about yoga or buddhism, but coming from this mind itself to inquire towards the truth of everything. The teachings or the dhamma has no super extra ordinary power, even when one memorizes all the teachings word by word, but it's the direct realization towards the teachings or dhamma, that will liberate the mind from ignorance and suffering.

Siddhartha Gautama never wanted to have all his teachings to be written down in text form, and he insisted that all and everyone must perform inquiry towards the truth of everything, including all his teachings, to be attaining direct realization towards the truth of everything, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-agreeing/disagreeing, or blind-propagating.

Even though the truth of everything, or the teachings, or the dhamma, can never be contaminated, or destroyed, or changed, never increased nor decreased, however, the limited reasoning, interpretation and understanding of the minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism can be faulty or corrupted, and hence, misinterpreting and manipulating the truth of everything/the teachings/the dhamma into something else, particularly to be the way that they prefer, like and desire, while the truth of everything/the teachings/the dhamma, is still what they are, not being affected, determined or contaminated by such misinterpretation and manipulation deriving from the wild imaginary passionate egoistic minds functioning under the veil of ignorance, and being conditioned by certain worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice.

Inquire towards these essential teachings -

There's only NOW. Existence, and the mind awareness/perception/cognition towards the selfless impermanent existence, is only in NOW. There's neither past nor future. In NOW, there are selfless impermanent changes. In NOW, some are arising, changing and decaying, some are passing away, some had passed away. In NOW, someone or something is a few hundred or thousand kilometer from here. In NOW, the same someone or something is right here. It is the ceaseless selfless impermanent changes and/or motions in NOW that generates the false impression or perception of TIME, of speed, distance, day/night, week, month, year, past, present and future. In stillness, void of motions, and if without selfless impermanent changes of names and forms happening in the silent infinite limitless space, what is time, or speed and distance, or day and night, or past and future? There's only NOW.

If Swami Sivananda is still living, that selfless physical body would be very old in NOW. If Siddhartha Gautama Buddha is still living, that selfless physical body would be extremely very old in NOW. However, their physical body ceased existing, or are not existing, in NOW. That's all.

Regardless of living sentient beings or non-living objects, all are selfless and impermanent.

The realization towards TIMElessness, or the correct understanding towards TIME, doesn't change or stop the selfless impermanent changes continuously happening in the selfless impermanent existence of all kinds of names and forms in the space of the universe, including the selfless impermanent existence and function of the selfless physical body and the selfless thinking faculty that is here perceiving all these, selflessly. It's solid concrete science. Nothing mystical or magical about the direct realization or correct understanding towards the truth of names and forms, void of ignorance towards the truth of everything.

Upon the direct self-realization towards selflessness, upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, upon the annihilation of the restless selfless modifications of the selfless mind (In stillness and silence, void of motions or activities), upon the realization towards TIMElessness, there's neither births nor deaths. Ceaseless births and deaths (ceaseless impermanent changes/ceaseless thought activities arising and passing away) only exist in the names and forms under going selfless impermanent changes and motions.

What is reincarnation in different realms?

What is the world of selfless impermanent names and forms?

What is the worldly selfless life existence of a selfless physical body and selfless thinking mind? 

Who is father, mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, son, daughter?

What is the physical body?

What is the thinking mind/the thinking faculty?

What is the restless modification of mind?

What is restlessness?

What are the states of mind?

Why are the different states of mind?

What is suffering?

Who is suffering?

What is the end of suffering?

What is cause and effect?

What is past, present, future karma?

What is selfless impermanent changes?

Who is going through selfless impermanent changes?

What is restless births and deaths in different realms?

Who is going through restless births and deaths?

Who is going through ceaseless reincarnation or births and deaths in different realms?

What is consciousness?

What is awareness?

What is ignorance?

What is egoism?

What is the ego?

What is 'I'?

What is selflessness?

What is intentionlessness?

What is impermanence?

What is time?

What is timelessness?

What is limitation and condition?

What is limitless and unconditional?

What is mind purification?

What is silence?

What is liberation?

Who is liberated?

What is fear?

What is fearlessness?

Why did Siddhartha Gautama Buddha not mentioning or commenting towards 'the creator of the universe' or 'the soul/spirit'?

Why did Swami Sivananda mentioning the same essential teachings or messages repeatedly, over and over again, either during giving dhamma talk, or as written in all his books?

Why both yoga and buddhism emphasized on the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, mind purification, simplicity, contentment (non-greed), non-possessiveness (non-coveting), non-violence (void of anger and hatred), right understanding, right discrimination, right effort, right view, right livelihood, truthfulness, dispassion, desirelessness (non-craving and non-aversion), non-attachment (non-clinging), detachment (letting go), renunciation, seclusion, solitude, self-control, self-discipline, self-effort, self-independence (mental and emotional independence), self-inquiry, self-realization, direct experience, meditation, stillness, silence, non-dualism, oneness, non-separateness, selflessness, intentionlessness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness, selfless impermanent changes, unconditional peace, wisdom and compassion?

None need more than sufficient basic needs to live a simple happy peaceful life

A simple happy peaceful life doesn't mean living under insufficiency of lacking the basic needs for life maintenance.

A simple clean and tidy living and resting space or shelter as well as enough basic clothing that protect the physical body from the impact of harsh weather, injuries, insects and wild animals in a healthy natural non-polluted surrounding environment, clean air, adequate simple nutritious food consumption that generates enough energy and nutrition for maintaining the basic function of the physical body and the thinking faculty, clean safe drinking water, basic hygiene and sanitation, certain indoor or outdoor physical and mental activities that don't require any additional equipment or gadget, basic living skills, basic correct understanding or universal conscience with basic common sense, openness, self-control, self-reliance, self-effort, self-inquiry, self-realization, contentment, and certain degrees of mental and emotional independence, are all the basic needs for maintaining a wholesome selfless impermanent life existence of the selfless physical body and the selfless thinking faculty.

There are boundless different kinds of unnecessary commercial ideas, products and activities, food productions, dining options, entertainments, fashions, accessories, gadgets, lifestyles, beliefs, values, practices, physical and mental leisure activities that require certain space, equipment or gadget, varieties of furniture, luxury accommodations, home decorations, pets decorations, toys, commercialized sports activities related commercial products, theme parks related commercial products, tourism related commercial products, celebration days, cultural, spiritual and religious events with their respective rituals or objects for different occasions, health and fitness products, beauty cosmetics products, skin care/body care/facial care/hair care products, spiritual healing related products, health food products, health care products, slimming products, anti-aging products, luxurious pleasurable material and sensual enjoyment of the senses for the body and mind, tourism holiday activities, and etc, where all these ideas, products and activities beyond basic needs for life maintenance are deriving from the intention of empowering wealth generation and accumulation through business investments, property investments, productions, tourism, commercialism and capitalism, under the creativity of the creative minds utilizing the many different technologies and higher technologies designing for catering the 'inspired' and 'empowered' desires and ambitions beyond basic needs for life maintenance of the ever restless discontented ambitious passionate minds under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

The existence of all these unnecessary ideas, products and activities are exploiting the nature and natural resources to the maximum to the point of destruction, while generating lots of unnecessary inevitable rubbish or pollution into the world, and give rise to so much exploitation and corruption that lead to many unnecessary damages and suffering in the world under such greedy ambitious inspirational aspirations and desires of the restless passionate egoistic minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

The buddhas and gurus foreseen all kinds of alarming damaging effects in the world deriving from such ignorance, egoism, restlessness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, greed, desires, aspirations, ambitions, success, wealth, status, indulgence, possessiveness and pride, that give rise to so much unnecessary damages to the natural environment, unrest, separateness, discrimination, selfishness, exploitation, corruption, unequal basic needs availability and distribution, unbalanced between abundance and insufficiency, desperation, suffering, hunger, violence and war in the world, and hence, the existence of the basic and yet essential teachings and advice of living a life of simplicity and contentment, dispassion and renunciation.

None need more than sufficient basic needs for life maintenance to be living a simple happy peaceful life in this world.

None need the additional ongoing stimulation of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, imaginations, visualizations, feelings, and etc, to be pleasing the ever discontented boundless passionate desires, to live a healthy happy life, physically, mentally and emotionally.

There will be minds that disagree with this and don't like to hear this, while thinking and believing that "There's nothing wrong or damaging to be enjoying whatever that is available to us, as long as it's not hurting oneself. Life is too dull and boring without some pleasurable entertainments and enjoyments. The global and local economy depends solely on the boundless desires and aspirations of consumerism inspired and empowered by all these business capital investments, property investments, productions, tourism, commercialism and capitalism, or else, the economy will collapse, there will be no jobs, and everyone will be suffering. But, at least those who have the opportunity and motivation and are capable of making a success out of all these to be generating and accumulating wealth won't be suffering so much. Life still goes on for those who achieved such success and wealth regardless of many others who are being exploited and living in poverty because they don't have the credibility or motivation to achieve success to get out of such desperate situation that exists under exploitation by those who are smart and credible, and those who are smart and successful deserved all kinds of abundance, enjoyments and comforts because it's their own ability, effort and aspiration. There's nothing wrong with smart people who work smart accumulating wealth and enjoying life to the maximum by exploiting the nature and the non-smart people who have to work hard and still not making enough for living. Be smart. Be inspired, and be empowered to be smart and achieve limitless success and wealth."

That's right. Keep inquiring towards what's wrong with this thinking or understanding, for the minds that think and believe that there's nothing bad or damaging with a little bit of extra desires, ambitions, success and enjoyments in life. Unfortunately, very few minds would see what is the 'problem' with this 'system' of a new modern society of 'empowerment towards achieving success and wealth and pleasurable enjoyment' as well as no limit of 'higher success, higher wealth and higher pleasurable enjoyment'.

That's why by being inspired and empowered to be having higher education, higher intelligence, motivation, ambition and the accumulation of knowledge, achievement, success and wealth, doesn't guarantee that the mind will have correct understanding, or is free from the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

It's the freedom of all and everyone for their understanding and desire and don't desire, as well as dealing with the consequences of the understanding and the desire and don't desire.

When the climate eventually collapsed, followed by the food production collapsed, where there's very little livable condition left on earth, when hunger, desperation, violence and wars are everywhere, then we will see if the minds still think and believe that they and their next generations won't be affected by the consequences of their 'nothing wrong' greedy boundless desires and aspirations.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Neither too tight nor too loose, follow the middle path

The sincere yoga or buddhism practitioner who is determined to attain direct realization towards the truth of selflessness, to be free from the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, needs to know how to follow the middle path, neither too tight nor too loose, where one eats enough, sleeps enough, actives enough, rests enough, works enough, not over-eating or under eating, not over sleeping or under sleeping, not over active or under active, not over resting or under resting, not over working or under working, and so on.

The middle path is the path of yoga and/or buddhism.

A life of simplicity with enough basic needs, without intentionally torturing oneself in hard living condition or indulging in easy comfortable living condition chasing after excess livelihood or comfortable pleasurable enjoyment of the senses, is the middle path.

Although under certain reason, if there is not enough basic needs for life maintenance, where the practitioner is living in a state of insufficiency, where the physical body and mind has to be spending excessive attention, energy and effort into looking after the maintenance of life, as well as maybe looking after some others in life financially, physically and mentally, and there might not be attention or energy left for performing certain physical yoga or meditation practice under particular name and form, it's okay, as all those attention, energy and effort being spent on the action of looking after the maintenance of life and looking after some others who are financially, physically or mentally dependent on oneself, are indeed the practical nameless formless practice under right effort, when one knows what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment and non-expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions, free from dissatisfaction, discontentment or greed, while allowing the fruit of one's attention, energy and effort to be what it is.

This is different from the passionate desire of egoistic attachment, affection and clinging towards the physical body and all kinds of ties and relationships with some others under the presence of attachment, identification and expectation, where the duty and responsibility is being performed under the intention of gratifying worldly passionate desires and aspirations, then that is not part of the practice under right effort.

While those who are living in an easy comfortable living condition with more than enough basic needs for living, they need to be aware of not losing themselves in a comfortable condition, or losing oneself in chasing after higher and higher pleasurable enjoyment or the accumulation and hoarding of wealth, unwittingly. One needs to be able to let go all kinds of pleasurable enjoyment of the senses that are easily accessible to oneself, and only keep enough for living in simplicity that enables oneself to be focusing on the path towards the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, without spending too much attention, energy and effort into looking after life maintenance, while letting go the excess abundance to some others who are living under insufficiency, and need not continuously generating and accumulating wealth that contributing to many kinds of exploitation and damages in the world. Without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment or expectation towards the practice or the fruit of the practice.

The mind that is lost in the generation, accumulation and hoarding of wealth will justify that its intention is to be able to perform as much charity as possible with those accumulated wealth, while not knowing that the presence of such intention or idea is merely a form of greed or ambitious, which is already swaying away from the practice.

Some minds also justifying that the indulgence in a comfortable luxurious pleasurable lifestyle is also part of the practice of non-attachment and non-identification, where they continuously indulging in such indulgence, thinking that they are also practicing non-attachment and non-identification towards such indulgence. That's their freedom of thinking and belief, however, what they are not aware of, is that the accumulation of wealth that support such luxurious pleasurable lifestyle is deriving from and empowering the many exploitation and corruptions in the world that give rise to many desperate conditions and suffering to many others in the world as well as contributing to many unnecessary damages to the surrounding environment, either directly or indirectly. And all these will lead to impactful consequences to all and everyone regardless of who and where.

Some minds mistaken the middle path as there's no need to refrain the senses from indulging in pleasurable enjoyment. That's their freedom of thinking and desire, however, the middle path includes the highly important practice of refraining the senses from chasing after the objects of the senses, or indulging in pleasurable enjoyment of the senses.

The presence of the idea or intention of "building and organizing bigger and more yoga classes, yoga events, yoga schools, yoga studios, yoga community, yoga organization, or yoga association, to be attracting more people into the world of yoga," is already a form of greed or ambitious, that is already swaying away from the practice, that the minds aren't aware of.

A yogi is not determined by the easy or hard life condition, the good or bad health and fitness condition, or the amount and size of the charity works or the dissemination of the teachings of yoga to others that one can performed under good intention.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Direct realization vs intellectual reasoning and understanding

If the mind thinks and believes that it understands the science of selflessness in all and everything intellectually, but somehow, there's still doubt towards certain thing or many things, that is because the mind hasn't attained direct self-realization yet, where it is still being conditioned by certain worldly egoistic cultural, spiritual, religious, national, political or commercial belief, values and practice.

Don't just stop at the intellectual reasoning and understanding, keep purifying and quieting the modification of the mind, until the mind sees the truth as it is, attaining direct self-realization.

Wise leader is a selfless identity-less reflector non-representing anyone or anything

There are certain minds under the influence of deep ignorance, or mentally very sicked, that don't want peace and harmony in the world, in stead, they are intentionally creating unrest and disharmony in the world, through violence, discrimination, bully, invasion or war, in order to cause as much damages and suffering in the world as possible, in order to be gratifying their own particular desire or ambition by doing so. That has to come from their own self-awareness to be aware of the ignorance in themselves. They can't see themselves. They need 'the help' of an external clear reflector or mirror to reflect upon themselves, to see themselves.

Even though most minds in the world are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, there are some minds that would wish for peace and harmony in the world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone, unselfishly, under the presence of certain degrees of awareness and conscience, even if they are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism completely yet.

There are also many minds that are under the influence of intense ignorance and egoism, that have strong attachment and identification towards their own particular identity of being part of a particular community, even if they might not care for the peace and harmony in all the others in the world, as they have certain degrees of separateness, discrimination, defensiveness and hostility towards all the others that are not part of their community, but at least they would wish for peace and harmony within their own particular community of certain identity, where they also don't desire violence, discrimination, bully, invasion or war within their own particular community, selfishly.

Even with certain good will and good intention of hoping and desiring for more peace and harmony in the world of diversity, or merely within a particular community, that eventually leads towards prosperity in all fields locally and globally, most minds might not know how to promote peace and harmony effectively, under the veil of ignorance and egoism. But at least they have the good will and good intention to be doing something to help the world or their particular community to have more peace and harmony.

For those who truly wish for more peace and harmony in the world of diversity, or world peace, especially those who have certain position and power to be making crucial decision either locally or globally, under the presence of certain degrees of awareness and conscience towards the fact of all and everyone, rich or poor, regardless of whether in the world or within a particular community, are inevitably being impacted either directly or indirectly by all kinds of unrest and disharmony in the world or within the particular community, they can contemplate upon this teaching here, if they want.

Even within a particular community of having the similar identity, there are always diversity existing. If people can't even respect and accept all the different diversity within their own community as they are, then how can they respect and accept a world of boundless diversity, as all and everyone are?

Under the veil of ignorance and egoism, and hence, under certain cultural, spiritual, religious, national or political ideas, many leaders are 'projecting' and 'representing' a particular identity of certain names and forms that either is similar and agreeable to some people with the similar identity, or is different and/or disagreeable to some people with different identities, either coming from the leaders themselves projecting such identity and representation to the people, "This is I. I am one of you, and I am here to represent you, and only you, for looking after your benefits, and only your benefits, not others," or coming from the people 'projecting' such identity and representation upon them, "This is you. You are one of us, and you are here representing us, and only us, for looking after our benefits, and only our benefits, not others."

That is the main reason why the world is getting worst and worst in many things that inevitably inter-affecting one another.

Leaders are existing because most people need a leader to lead them. People might not look at some other people, but they will look at their leader, who was being chosen to be their leader by the people themselves. That's why leaders are so powerful. It's not supposed to be like that, but, it is.

A good and wise leader can do many good and constructive things that benefit many, but similarly, a bad and ignorant leader can do many bad and destructive things that hurt many, because of that 'power'.

Out of ignorance and egoism, not all, but some minds might think and believe that non-separateness means eliminating all kinds of differences or diversities as well as to be unifying all kinds of diversities or differences into one uniform name and form, to be achieving peace and harmony within the community or in the world, the way that they think and believe how it should be. But it doesn't. That's why there are endless and growing unrest, discrimination, oppression, restriction towards freedom of existence/thinking/action/speech/expression, hatred and violence either within a particular community or in the world, when anyone or any community tries to eliminate differences by controlling, converting and unifying everyone within the community to be under one uniform name and form. Either people want to keep others who are different from them out of their living space that doesn't really belong to anyone, or people want to change or convert those who are different from them to be like them, to think and behave like them, which they like and agree with.

The wise leaders that can truly make use of such position and power to bring positive and constructive changes in the world, or even just within a particular community, to promote more peace and harmony in the world or within the community of diversity, while not causing further harmful effects and suffering in the world or within the particular community, are similar to a selfless and identity-less reflector, or a clear mirror, that reflects all and everything as it is, selflessly. Not having any particular identity identifying towards any particular quality of name and form, of particular gender, race, skin colour, politic, belief, values, practice, spirituality, religion, nationality, social status, or anything. That doesn't represent any particular names and forms.

It's not even about, "This is I. I am multi-diversity. I am here to represent all and everyone of many different diversities. I am here to be looking after the benefits of all and everyone of many diversities respectively."

But merely a selfless identity-less clear reflector that reflects all and everyone as they are, that might or might not be igniting certain awareness in the minds to be aware of the ignorance and egoism in themselves, towards seeing the truth of this perceptive cognitive intellectual thinking mind through seeing the reflection of itself and all kinds of names and forms being reflected upon the existence of this selfless identity-less reflector or clear mirror, that the minds under the veil of ignorance and egoism are inevitable constantly looking at.

The world is in need of many selfless identity-less reflectors to be the local and global leaders that enable the minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism to be reflecting upon themselves, to see themselves under the help of the clear reflector or mirror, before the world is being damaged to the point of all and everyone will be in extreme desperation and suffering that could have been avoided, regardless of one is being super wealthy rich, or not.

If it doesn't, let it be.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Merely impermanent selfless names and forms arising, changing, and passing away, selflessly

Under the influence of ignorance and egoism, the mind cannot go beyond what it thinks and believes is itself, or 'This is I'.

"How can 'I' comprehend towards 'I' doesn't exist, when 'I' am here now being aware of 'myself', looking at 'myself', feeling the sensations in 'my' body, being aware of the thoughts in 'my' mind, and 'I' am the one who is experiencing all these, pleasantness and unpleasantness, doing all these thinking, and asking this question?"

"How can 'I' negate 'myself' that is being here negating 'myself'?"

That's why the importance of dispassion and renunciation into seclusion and solitude to move the selfless thinking faculty away from worldly egoistic social connections, interactions, communications, conversations, activities and affairs, in order to enable the mind to be detached from everything about 'I', 'my', 'mine' and everything that empowers the idea of 'I', and then the thinking mind will start to look at the selfless or 'I'less modifications of the mind from the point of view of a third party, and starts to see the truth of selflessness and impermanence in the mind, in the physical body, and in all and everything that the mind perceives through the senses.

It's pure science. Nothing mystical or super extraordinary about the truth of selflessness.

However, even scientists who have been studying science for many years, might still be functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, and are not free from the idea of 'I', 'my', and 'mine', being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic cultural, spiritual or religious thinking, belief, values and practice, being determined and disturbed by experiences/conditions/situations that are unpleasant, disagreeable and undesirable, and perceive suffering upon undesirable and unpleasant selfless impermanent changes.

In everyday interactions, communications, activities, affairs and conversations, it's all about 'I' am this, 'I' am that, 'I' did this, 'I' didn't do that, 'I' can do this, 'I' cannot do that, 'I' feel good, 'I' don't feel good, 'I am happy, 'I' am unhappy, 'I' am fit and healthy, 'I' am not fit and not healthy, 'I' am hurt, 'I' need to be healed from hurt, 'I' am confident, 'I' am not confident, 'I' am loved, 'I' am not loved, 'I' am strong, 'I' am positive, 'I' like this, 'I' don't agree with that, 'I' want this, and 'I' don't want that. It's all nothing but empowering the attachment and identification of an idea of 'I' attaching and identifying towards the physical body, the thinking faculty, and all the mind perceptions of names and forms of all kinds of pleasant and unpleasant experiences, or the restless impure modifications of the mind, as 'I', or "This is I," and "This is my life and my everything."

It's the selfless thinking faculty that is under the influence of ignorance, that is performing the yoga practice, the meditation, the purification, or the self-inquiry, to be free from ignorance.

To perform self-inquiry, this 'thinking faculty' needs to replace all the 'I's with 'the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual thinking faculty.'

It is not -

How can 'I' comprehend towards 'I' doesn't exist, when 'I' am here now being aware of 'myself', looking at 'myself', feeling the sensations in 'my' body, being aware of the thoughts in 'my' mind, and 'I' am the one who is experiencing all these, pleasantness and unpleasantness, doing all these thinking, and asking this question?

It is -

How can the selfless thinking faculty comprehend towards there's no existence of 'I' existing in the thinking faculty, when the selfless thinking faculty is here now being aware of the selfless modifications of the mind, looking at the selfless modifications of the mind, feeling the sensations in the selfless physical body, being aware of the selfless thoughts in the selfless modifications of the mind, and it's the selfless thinking faculty perceiving or experiencing all these, pleasantness and unpleasantness, doing all these thinking, and asking this question.

It is not -

How can 'I' negate 'myself' that is being here negating 'myself'?

It is -

The selfless thinking faculty is negating the idea of 'I' from the selfless thinking faculty. It is not the selfless thinking faculty negating the selfless thinking faculty. The selfless thinking faculty is impermanently existing and functioning and perceiving all kinds of names and forms through the selfless senses via the selfless sense organs of the selfless physical body, powered by selfless energy and other selfless elements, but there's no 'I' existing in the selfless thinking faculty, or the selfless physical body, or the selfless sense organs, or the selfless senses, or the selfless modifications of the mind.

It's merely impermanent selfless names and forms arising, changing, and passing away, selflessly. There's no 'I' in control of the selfless impermanent changes to be the way that 'I' would like it to be. There's no 'I' in the names and forms that are going through the selfless impermanent changes. There's no 'I' in the energy and elements that give rise to the selfless function and selfless existence of the selfless physical body and the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual thinking faculty. There's no 'I' in all the selfless atoms and selfless cells that make up the entire selfless bodily system, the selfless physical structure and the selfless thinking faculty.

It's the selfless thinking faculty under the influence of ignorance and egoism that thinks and desires that it can control all the selfless impermanent changes to be the way that it would like it to be.

It's the ignorant selfless thinking faculty that thinks and believes that it has a permanent self-identity that is going through the selfless impermanent changes.

It's the ignorant selfless thinking faculty functioning under the idea of 'I' that tries to defy gravity, decay and aging, or disintegration, that it doesn't like and doesn't desire.

It's the selfless thinking faculty under the influence of ignorance and egoism that perceives suffering due to egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and being ignorant towards itself, or not knowing Thyself.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Be free.